In the end, it may be that fielding makes the difference.
Whereas, in Visakhapatnam, the tough but crucial chance offered by Virat Kohli went to ground, here Chris Woakes clung on to an even tougher chance to end Cheteshwar Pujara's dangerous innings and precipitate a decline in which India lost three wickets for eight runs.
The third of those, the run-out of the unfortunate Karun Nair (it would have been a brave man to send back Kohli on debut) was, again, the result of some outstanding fielding from Jos Buttler. From a position in which India appeared to have weathered the storm and were set to take control of the game, England had conjured wickets from nowhere. They were back in the match and the series.
The ball that dismissed Pujara didn't really deserve a wicket. It was a filthy long-hop. And though it wasn't the only one Adil Rashid bowled - he had been pulled for boundaries by Pujara and Kohli in his previous couple of overs - his consistently improved form has been a feature of this series.
He has already taken more wickets (16 so far) than Shane Warne managed in a series in India (14) and only two visiting legspinners (Danish Kaneria, who took 19 wickets in 2004-05) and Richie Benaud (who took 29 in 1959-60 and 23 in 1956-57) have taken more in a series in India. No England legspinner has taken more wickets in a series since Roly Jenkins claimed 16 in South Africa in 1948-49. The record by an England legspinner (22 by 'Tich' Freeman) is within reach. While being rated the best English legspinner is a bit like being rated the tallest dwarf, these are impressive statistics.
There have been several occasions when it seemed Rashid wasn't cut out for this level. He was told he was going to make his Test debut at Lord's during the 2015 Ashes but pulled out of the game with a finger injury that provoked consternation among some in the team management who questioned whether he had withered in the spotlight. It was interesting to note that, despite the injury, he bowled for Yorkshire while the Test was in progress.
He eventually made his debut in the UAE. While it took him 265 deliveries to claim his first wicket (he claimed 0 for 163 in his first innings), he finished with a five-for to help England within an ace of a memorable victory in Abu Dhabi (the first five-for by an England legspinner since Tommy Greenhough's against India at Lord's in 1959).
But, by the end of the series, only three of the eight wickets he had claimed were of batsmen in the top six and one of those was with a delivery similar to the one that dismissed Pujara here. He didn't make the tour party to South Africa (the selectors reasoned that he would benefit more from gaining experience in the BBL) and Moeen Ali retained his role as first choice spinner throughout the English summer.
Even after the Bangladesh portion of this tour, when Rashid's figures (seven wickets at 29.85) looked perfectly respectable, there were doubts. Those figures had been given a flattering sheen by some tail-end wickets as Bangladesh set up the game in Dhaka and it was noticeable that his captain had been reluctant to risk him at key moments. And while some suggested Alastair Cook should have shown more faith in his bowler, others would point out that Rashid had done quite a lot to earn the lack of faith.
But he has bowled far better in India. Maybe because of the faith shown in him by Saqlain Mushtaq - while previous England coaches have focused on what Rashid cannot do (notably, they believed he bowled too slowly), Saqlain has focused on what he can (notably bowl a big leg-break) - he has bowled with more confidence and consistency.
The wickets are obviously vital, but he has also conceded a relatively respectable 3.51 runs per over (it was 3.81 on surfaces that should have helped him more and against a less able batting line-up in Bangladesh) and, as a result, been entrusted with more overs than any of his team-mates. Trevor Bayliss called him England's "best spinner" after Visakhapatnam and he has a better strike-rate in the series (48) than Ravi Ashwin (73.60). Cook now trusts him. He isn't a luxury player; he is a key bowler.
Perhaps Rashid's development gives England new options? Perhaps, as the need for a third spinner - an insurance bowler, really - diminishes, England can consider changing the balance of their side.
Certainly Gareth Batty, who was only introduced into the attack in the 47th over, looked an unnecessary extravagance here. While he could yet prove to be a match-winner in the fourth innings, he has only bowled five overs so far and leaked three boundaries in his first 14 deliveries.
His presence reduced the opportunities for Moeen Ali, too. By the time Batty came on, Moeen had only bowled four overs. He wasn't tired and he hadn't been expensive. Indeed, he had conceded nine runs and had a catch dropped. He has been under-bowled of late.
Increasingly, there is little evidence England require three spinners and even less that they require two offspinners.
One option would be to add another seamer to the side. And it's true, there were moments when Stuart Broad would have been a better bet to maintain the pressure established by Anderson and Woakes. It is a realistic option for the next Test in Mumbai.
But do England really need six bowlers? In these conditions, with the temperature relatively cool, might they not be better served by strengthening the batting that continues to let them down?
There may be options here. Haseeb Hameed is to have an X-ray on the little finger of his left hand in the next few days after sustaining a blow to it during his innings on Saturday. He did not field on Sunday and must be considered an injury doubt ahead of the fourth Test. Especially if he takes another blow when batting in England's second innings, when he is sure to be tested by more short balls.
England do have reinforcements within the current squad. But such have been the struggles of Ben Duckett and Gary Ballance, the management may be reluctant to rely upon them in the final two Tests of the series.
That means England may be wise to call up at least one top-order player from the Lions squad or beyond. The three obvious candidates are Nick Gubbins, who looked a terrific player in the Championship season but is still learning to play spin bowling; Keaton Jennings, the County Championship player of the season in 2016, and Daniel Bell-Drummond, who has looked a fine prospect for a few years but may (rightly or wrongly) be disadvantaged by the fact that he plays his cricket in Division Two of the Championship. Duckett's experience has reiterated the suspicion that a chasm exists between that level and Test cricket.
Or, there is another more familiar option. If the England team management decide that parachuting any of those young players into such a demanding environment could damage their long-term development, they might be tempted to think about Nick Compton. Compton, who opened the batting on the 2012 tour when England beat India and played Test cricket as recently as June, is currently in Mumbai (working for Espncricinfo) and training each day. A recall remains unlikely, but stranger things have happened.
Such dilemmas can wait a day or two. But Rashid's improvement does offer a potential solution to the fragility of the batting as much as it improves the bowling. They are back in this series, but they will have to bat better - both in the second innings here and in the final two Tests - if they are to sustain that improvement.